You're probably aware of the various chat systems around the web (facebook chat for example) but recently there has been more of a desire for other types of interaction using these technologies. Many have requested talks on Node.js, Comet long-polling, or similar technologies. WebSockets are the evolution of these technologies, and a developing standard being progressed by the IETF.

The HTML 5 standard specifies new APIs for storage, drawing, drag-and-drop, and other areas that have made web programming painful. Browsers have already begun incorporating parts of HTML 5 (canvas, for example) even though the specification is far from complete. The HTML 5 Communication section includes two additional connectivity features: Server-Sent Events, a standardization of HTTP push, and Web Sockets, a cross-domain safe, full-duplex connection. Server-Sent Events will make real-time updates and notifications easy, and Web Sockets provide the functionality necessary to build chat for the web without the previously required hackery.

Come and hear the latest on what this great technology allows!

Brad Drysdale is the Technical Director in EMEA for Kaazing. Brad has also worked at Openwave and Netscape Communications in various pre-sales and technical evangelist roles.

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Welcome HTML5 • HTML5 is the next set of W3C HTML standards • Offers new and enhanced features as building blocks for next generation RIAs • Industry standard backed by Google, Apple, Mozilla, Microsoft, Cisco, etc • Many of the browser vendors have already implemented several of these features • The race is on to implement the rest and be the best 19!

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Hack the Web for Real-Time • Ajax applications use various “hacks” to simulate real-time communication • Polling - HTTP requests at regular intervals and immediately receives a response • Long Polling - HTTP request is kept open by the server for a set period • Streaming - More efficient, but not complex to implement and unreliable • Excessive HTTP header traffic, significant overhead to each request response 39!

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Reduction in Network Traffic • With WebSocket, each frame has only several bytes of packaging (a 500:1 or even 1000:1 reduction) • No latency involved in establishing new TCP connections for each HTTP message • Dramatic reduction in unnecessary network traffic and latency • Remember the Polling HTTP header traffic? 665 Mbps network throughput for just headers 60!

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Overheard… “Reducing kilobytes of data to 2 bytes…and reducing latency from 150ms to 50ms is far more than marginal. In fact, these two factors alone are enough to make WebSocket seriously interesting to Google.” —Ian Hickson (Google, HTML5 spec lead) 65!

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Got WebSocket. Now What? • Major upgrade for web traffic, use it! • Build high performance, scalable messaging for web apps • Extend the reach of *any* TCP-based protocol you want, all the web to the browser • The browser is a true client of that protocol – powerful paradigm shift • Aggregate data and apply business logic at the client 73!